Hua Hin
Getting there
It's pretty easy to get from BKK to Hua Hin. With the new road, the AC bus from Southern Bus station takes only 3 hours.
You could also take a train which will take a bit less then 4 hours.
What to do
Hua Hin
Hua Hin is a pretty touristic by now.
It's not so easy to find a Thai restaurant, but Swedish, German or
Italian menus are no problem. The rooms of hotels are also quite
expensive, especially in high season.
Suan Son
Suan
Son is about 6 to 10 km south of Hua Hin and has some nice and quiet
beaches. There are some resorts, but the number of tourists is still
pretty low.
To get there, take a red bus south or an orange
minibus (10 Bht pp). At a Chinese temple, take left till you pass the
military post till the beach. There are some foodstalls.
From
Suan Son, you can walk North till Ban Si Kao. In front of the small
harbour, walk left over the surfaced road and then again right till you
get to Hat Khao Takap with a big Buddha statue. You have a great view
from a temple on the hill.
Sam Roi Yot National Park
This park is near Pranburi. There are different possibilities to get there:
- hire a motorbike from Hua Hin
- hire a taxi for the day (600 to 800 Bht)
- go with a tourgroup
We
went with a tourgroup (Tours and Travel Co, Naresdami road).Price is
about 500 Bht pp (with 100 Bht discount for booking at 10 pm). The
guide was OK.
This is what you'll see:
- Pine Apple plantation
- Coconut plantation with monkeys trained to get the coconuts.
- Ban Bang Phu: boat to Hat Laem Sala
- A very impressive Tham Phraya Nakhom cave
- A good lunch
- 1 hour to spend on the beach
Pretburi
An AC bus will cost about 30 Bht pp (12/98).
The
temple walk is OK, but the Southern part is not really recommended.
Nicest temples are Wat Mahathat and Wat Yai Suwannaram.
Khao
Wang: the palaces are OK but not really impressive. Taxi is 20 Bht,
museum 40 Bht and cable car 30 Bht return trip (12/98).
Accommodation
Pala-U guesthouse (in a side road of the Damnoen Kasem road not far
from Sofitel hotel) is recommended. It's not in LP, but it's quiet,
clean, has hot water and a terrace. The restaurant for breakfast lacks
some atmosphere, but they have a lot of info about the area. They
charge 300 Bht for a double with fan or 550 Bht for AC (12/98).
The
Phuen guesthouse charges 220 Bht for a large room with fan, bath and
TV, and 550 Bht for AC. However, the rooms are very noisy at night
(12/98). <br />
Jed
Pee Nong Hotel is a small middle class hotel with 4 rooms with fan for
600 Bht and the others with AC at 900 Bht, they have a swimming pool
(12/98).
Bon Samboon GH has nice rooms with TV, fridge, fan
and it's quiet. They charge around 400 to 450 Bht, but this doesn't
include breakfast (unlike what LP says) (12/98).
Fu Lay is
not in LP. They have 2 buildings on Nuresdami Road. Near the restaurant
they have more expensive AC rooms, clean, big, with TV and fridge for
700 to 800 Bht. At the other side, on a pier in the sea, they have nice
AC rooms for 800 to 900 Bht or smaller fan rooms for 300 Bht. This
place has a good atmosphere (12/98).
Dougherty Home is not
in LP, located at Soi Jamjuree 1 km south of the city on a side road of
Petchkasem Road on the right between a restaurant and a massage parlor.
The rooms are clean and have AC and cost 600 Bht. The hotel has a small
garden and swimming pool. It's quiet but a bit out of town (12/98).
Ban Samphang
Getting there
Get an AC bus from the Southern bus terminal in BKK for 194 Bht pp, the trip takes 5 hours.
Accommodation
Suan Luang Resort has wooden bungalows with bath and fan for 300 Bht or
brick versions with AC for 500 Bht. It's quiet, they rent motorbikes
for 250 Bht a day. Phone them, so they'll pick you up in town( mobile
01-2125687 or 032-691663). This place was fully booked from 18/12
onwards. They have a lot of info on places in the area.
What to do
The area itself is very nice and often overlooked by tourists. It also
has a beautiful beach. Recommended for off-the-beaten track tourists.
Chumphong
How to get there
From Ban Saphang, there's a train leaving at 7h49'. The trip takes 2 hours and costs 20 Bht in 3rd class.
Accommodation
Sooksamer
GH is definitely not recommended when we checked. They charge 150 Bht
for a double with common bathroom, but the owner was in BKK and the guy
who ran the place was more drunk then sober. The place looked dirty.
(12/98)
Mayazee Resthouse charges 250 Bht for a double with
fan, 350 Bht for AC. The place was very clean, had shared showers, and
staff was very friendly. Unfortunately, they had forgotten our
reservation for our second stay.
Infinity travel has 3 rooms
with fan, but quite small and 2 of them are windowless, price 150 Bht.
They had a lot of good info, but they had a rat problem.
Beaches
Hat
Thung Wua Laen is 12 km North. You can get there with a shuttle from
Cabana resort, they have an office next to Infinity travel. The resort
has bungalows for 600 Bht including breakfast, 900 Bht for AC. They
have a restaurant and diving club, but a bit too expensive. Your best
bet to stay is the Cleanwave charging 600 to 800 Bht for an AC
bungalow. Tel 77-560151 (Note phonenumbers in LP are wrong).
26 km South is Mother House Resort, 300 Bht for a double, quiet.
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